Like mother like daughter

Young children all tend to mimic those they look up to, and 8-year-old Priscilla of Volta, Ghana is no exception.

Priscilla says her favourite thing to do is to role play, pretending to be her mother, Juliet.

“I gather empty tins and pretend the sand is rice for cooking, then plug some leaves into the water and again pretend it is soup or stew as a game,” she cheerily demonstrates.

Juliet and Priscilla, 8. This mother/daughter duo share a smile that’s one and the same!

Thanks to your support, Priscilla is not only free to play like this, rightfully enjoying her childhood, she’s mirroring positive behaviours – starting with her mom.

Healthier habits

“Community Sponsorship has been teaching us to learn good sanitation, which is very important,” says Juliet. “We’re now in the habit of keeping our environment clean to prevent sickness. We cover our food, and have stopped unhygienic practices,” she adds – something Priscilla’s obviously been picking up on.

“I always cover my food and wash my hands before and after eating to prevent germs from entering my stomach to cause sickness,” Priscilla insists, as her mom looks on.

“Our health has greatly improved through Community Sponsorship,” Juliet adds with a smile.

Getting involved and gaining rights

Thanks to your support, Priscilla isn’t just learning from her mother’s lead, she’s also getting involved in opportunities you make possible.

And she’s not the only one.

“Children are engaged in Community Sponsorship meetings and efforts,” says Juliet, explaining how other local children are equally invested in activities, and their benefits. “They’re always at project sites, monitoring the progress!”

Enthusiastic children cheer at the construction site of a school you’re helping build.

Now parents, like her, are applying training insights and including children where it counts.

“Parents now ensure their children are in school and visit the clinic if they get sick. The rights of children are being upheld and clean practices are being observed by many households,” Juliet explains.

“We were taught to live in harmony… community members are now enlightened.”

Daring to dream, together

“My dream is to work very hard and earn more money to send my children to school so they can achieve their dreams,” says Juliet.

Meanwhile, Priscilla dreams of doing much the same for her mom and others.

“When I grow up, I’ll earn money to take care of my parents. My dream is to bring development to my community,” Priscilla shares.

And she’s got a few ideas to help get there – this time, envisioning herself as the role model: “I want to be a teacher and help all children get an education,” she says with determination.

“I want to change attitudes. I will teach parents to help their children grow well so they can develop our community when they grow up.”

Juliet and her husband Simon are committed to helping Priscilla take this path, hand-in-hand, the whole way.

“It is our hope that our children will progress, and that we have strength and long lives to support them to complete school, go to the next level of training then get good jobs.”

Uplifting one another

Thanks to your encouragement, Priscilla’s feeling more than capable of making big change happen, in her life and beyond: “I learned that girls can become doctors, lawyers and even presidents if we study hard at school,” says Priscilla.

Likewise, your support has inspired Juliet to believe she can more than just get by: “Plan International has been teaching us to not just subsist but to venture into business and look at the opportunities around us no matter how small.”

And thanks to you, those opportunities are becoming bigger and bigger.

A new life

When we first met Juliet, she shared her family’s three most pressing concerns.

“It is our hope,” she said, “that Community Sponsorship will support us to get good drinking water, classrooms for the kids and help improve livelihoods.”

With your help, the family is gradually ticking off each one of those boxes, and seeing the true impact of your support.

“BIG changes have happened in my life!” says Priscilla, brimming with excitement. “Now we have clean water close to our home, so I no longer get tired and late for school every morning. I attend a new and beautiful school where my teachers are friendly.”

For Priscilla, the transformation to her everyday could not be more real, resulting in something that could never be replicated by playing pretend.

“The new developments make me feel proud and hopeful about the future of my community,” she says, beaming. “I feel safe and happy.”

Thank you for making meaningful change happen – for Priscilla, for Juliet and for their entire community.

About Plan International

Founded in 1937, Plan International is one of the world’s oldest and largest international development agencies, working in partnership with millions of people around the world to end global poverty. Not for profit, independent and inclusive of all faiths and cultures, Plan International strives for a just world that advances children’s rights and equality for girls.